“…”
I clearly intended to go straight to the sea at first, but how did it end up like this?
Yes, no matter how high my status is in the Holy Kingdom, I was still just a girl before anything else.
I had to think about my protector.
‘Asclyna, really…’
Of course, that protector is none other than the Pope, who is also Asclyna taking on the role of a guardian dragon, which I don’t fully understand.
The reason she calls me is naturally related to the problem of exterminating monsters… but knowing Asclyna’s personality, I think she also just wants to see my face since all academic events are over.
Even though I have only spent time with her as the Pope and as a grandfather and granddaughter, I could feel that her feelings towards me were genuine.
To be blunt, she could have just thrown a message at me and left me to my own devices, but she took great care of me as if she were a real grandfather.
‘… I feel a bit guilty.’
I feel guilty for treating my body roughly like this.
Hmm… I need to be a little more restrained from now on.
Anyway, as soon as the academic schedule ended and the vacation began, I was supposed to go straight to the sea as planned, but I regretted that it had become impossible.
No matter how esteemed I am in the Holy Kingdom, I cannot ignore the Pope, who is on the same level as me.
Of course, it’s not like he sent me a letter in a commanding tone, but if a gentle person like Asclyna is sending me this, she will probably be quite upset if I refuse.
Still, I can’t just stand by and watch someone who cares for me get upset, so it’s hard to refuse, isn’t it?
Anyway, since the person sending the letter is not an ordinary person but the Pope himself, I have no choice but to go meet him.
What else can I do?
Fortunately, the place we originally planned to go is near the Holy Kingdom.
Moreover, in big cities, there are warp points and teleportation magic circles in the game to make it easy to get around, so there’s no need to worry about traveling.
After exchanging greetings and talking adequately about what had happened, it won’t be too late to go out afterward.
The vacation lasts for over a month, after all.
Still, I should probably apologize for saying we would go to the sea and instead going somewhere else.
I bowed my head to the three of them and said,“[I’m sorry… I was called back by my homeland…]”
“Not, it’s okay! We really had nowhere to go anyway!”
Nowhere to go…Now that I think about it, did Stella run out of the Magic Tower?
There’s no reason to go back, so her saying she had nowhere to go makes sense.
“Of course! The Father said I could come back later!”
Uriel… I have some doubts about that, but she seems to believe that, so I shouldn’t say anything.
“I also didn’t have any particular place to go, so you don’t have to feel too sorry.”
Evan wouldn’t know anyone else except for his mentor, so his words also made sense.
Although I do feel truly sorry, I think my reaction might be excessive for just an apology, but still, I felt that everyone understood me.
I know saying this might make me seem a bit shameless, but I believed these three would understand me.
‘Given the situation, I have to treat them well.’
Despite how it seems, it’s a trip with the Saint’s friends, so I’ll treat them properly.
Since they are friends of the saint I cherish, it doesn’t seem possible that they would be treated poorly… Even if they did that, I wouldn’t just stand by.
Regardless of whether it’s a game or not, these three are the closest friends I have.
I had no intention of letting that slide.
“[I will provide the best treatment for you!]”
This was sincere.
After all, since it had changed from going to the sea to stopping by the Holy Kingdom first, it was right to treat them well in the Holy Kingdom.
‘But is it a bit abrupt to take them with me…?’
Even if I’m a saint, suddenly saying, “Hey, please take care of my friends!” could be a bother, so I shouldn’t bring them right away…
As I pondered how to approach this, I realized there wasn’t much to worry about.
In the end, if the problem is that I didn’t inform them in advance, I could just write a letter.
‘I’ve never written a letter in my life.’
If I could write a letter, I wouldn’t have been unable to speak due to not knowing the language.
The fact that I could write and send a letter without seeing or hearing would be an absurdity. Of course, I could ask someone else to write it for me, but…
I looked back at Evan.
Should I ask Evan for help?
“[Evan, dear brother. Would you be able to fulfill my request?]”
“Request? What request?”
Evan cocked his head to the side and approached me upon hearing my sudden remark about having a request.
I took out some stationery with Stella’s help and handed it to Evan.
Everyone asked in confused voices why I was getting this out.
For what reason? Because there’s a reason, you fools.
“[It would be rude to take you all to the Holy Kingdom without telling anyone.]”
I wanted to notify them beforehand.
Upon hearing this, they nodded in understanding and then Evan flinched a bit and asked me,
“But why are you giving this to me…?”
“[Ah… um…]”
Now that I think about it, that’s true.
If I were to ask someone about this, it would probably be better to ask Uriel or Stella, who have beautiful handwriting and are good at writing, rather than Evan. So why did I approach Evan first?
Somehow, I had unconsciously been leaning on Evan.
‘Hmm…’
I suddenly wondered why I did that.
Come to think of it, it seems that every time something happened lately, Evan had been there to save me. He was the one who dealt a blow to the demon and cut its arm off during the entrance ceremony, and when we went to rescue Albert, he was by my side too.
When I was stranded in the Dungeon, Evan was right next to me… And when I was stranded in the Realm, Evan was there too.
And even when I was swallowed by a monster for the purpose of extermination, it was ultimately Evan who saved me.
Evan always rushed to save me.
‘Is it because I’m a saint?’
Or is it because we are friends?
The feelings I had felt like they were affectionately sticky, unlike my usual feelings towards friends. Yet it didn’t quite fit the idea that he was saving me simply because I was a saint…
In any case, this felt strange.
I think I need to change my perspective towards Evan a bit.
“[Well then… I’ll leave it to you, Sister Uriel.]”
“Ah! Then I’ll help you, Saint! Hehe!”
Uriel seemed genuinely happy to be able to help me and walked over with a carefree smile and placed her hands on the stationery.
I’m not quite sure how she’s writing, but she was smoothly writing as she gave me rough instructions on what to say.
Well, just in case, I was thinking of asking Stella or Evan about how she wrote the letter and if the content was okay, but…
‘She’s revealing all her thoughts.’
I don’t mean to say this lightly, but Uriel is an innocent character, revealing her thoughts just as they are without any suspicion.
Having naturally learned this fact through conversations with others via thought, this was clear to me.
In any case, what I wanted to point out wasn’t this, but something related to Evan.
‘Even though I tend to not care about appearances since I only see things like 3D modeling…’
Still, leaning on Evan, who is not just any guy but a hero first, feels somewhat strange.
How long has it been since I’ve shown this much interest in a man?
No, beyond interest, I’ve been seeking him out every time something happened.
Of course, it’s true he’s essential for defeating the Demon King, but even I think this is excessive.
This time, I need to do a lot of things, such as going to the sea, having fun, facing the Trial of Wisdom, and finding my holy relic…
There’s so much to do.
Given how things are, it seems wise to reduce my interest in Evan a bit this time. Even though he looks like this, he’s old enough that it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to coddle him as if I were his mother.
Mother… is that how it should be called? While I do feel that way, still!
Looking down at Uriel, who was writing the letter for me, I made a firm resolution to do just that.
